Life in Belfast as represented on its walls – Murals, Graffiti, Street Art

One hundred years ago today, on July 1st, 1916, the Battle of Albert began, the first of many battles in what is known collectively as the Battle of the Somme. Soldiers from the 36th (Ulster) Brigade went “over the top” at 7:28 a.m. By the end of the day, more than nineteen thousand British soldiers were dead, five thousand from the 36th.

The line “We gathered from our towns, our villages and farms, in answer to the echo of alarm” comes from the song “Armagh Brigade”; the alarm is more specifically “Carson’s loud alarm”. Below the main panel, which shows combat at close quarters, are the words of Wilfrid Spender: “I am not an Ulsterman but yesterday, the 1st. July, as I followed their amazing attack, I felt that I would rather be an Ulsterman than anything else in the world … the Ulster Volunteer Force, from which the Division was made, has won a name that equals any in history.”

Have you spotted a mural or piece of graffiti? Please send tips (and photos) to extramuralactivity@gmail.com or tag us on Twitter

Welcome to Extramural Activity!

For the full effect, we recommend that you view images at full size – click on the image to see it in a separate page and then click again for the image by itself.

If you have any information about a mural/graffiti/street art, please leave a comment on the post. Questions, too.

We would love to hear from you. Please get in touch by e-mail if you want to use an image. You can get the original, full-size, version and without the copyright notice. (Our images have been used by scholars writing articles and dissertations, documentary film-makers, charities, civic groups, theatre companies, and other blogs.)

We are also available for talks (and tours) to schools and other groups.

Some of the most familiar murals are listed together just below 'For Beginners'.

Completists should check out the Extramural Activity map of murals, graffiti (both those featured on the blog and others) plus "peace" lines and re-drawn estates of the past.